Week of 15 May
1. Fire in the hole! (UAE)
After successful steam-blowing and boiler ignition to ensure readiness of the facilities, the first waste fire took place recently at the Waste-to-Energy plant in Dubai. This is a huge milestone that brings the Dubai municipality a big step closer to producing clean, sustainable energy.
The external façade works have also progressed tremendously, giving the building a more defined outline. BESIX's ancillary buildings are almost ready for handover, and the construction of the facility entry building is now complete.
Well done, Dubai team!
2. Chi va piano, va sano (Italy)
The Valfabbrica State Road 318 project is making steady progress! On the 1st picture, you can see the removal of the formwork of the arch on Picchiarella East tunnel after the first pouring. The 2nd picture shows the shotcrete* construction method applied on the 35th section (281,8 – 293 metres) of the Casa Castalda East tunnel. Congratulations to our Italian colleagues, keep on the good work!
This project involves the doubling the state road 318 over 3.1 kilometers on behalf of the Italian Highway Authority ANAS. This stretch of road includes the Picchiarella and Casa Castalda tunnels, with lengths of 874 metres and 1,545 metres respectively, as well as the Tre Vescovi viaduct and the Calvario bridge.
*Shotcrete or sprayed concrete is concrete or mortar conveyed through a hose and pneumatically projected at high velocity onto a surface, as a construction technique.
3. Groundbreaking ceremony in Copenhagen (Denmark)
As you might have read in our latest press release, the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Nordhavn tunnel took place last week in Copenhagen. During the ceremony, participants brought mementoes, trinkets or souvenirs that have been sealed into a time capsule. This time capsule was then handed over to our colleagues Pierre Sironval, Mathieu Dechamps and Xavier Debruche, and will be cast under the tunnel in due time. The JV put a group photo of their team in the box, together with some technical renders of the tunnel. They also put a newspaper from 11 May, the day of the ceremony, and a Danish 20 kroners coin from 2022.
The actual construction of the tunnel can now begin in earnest, as virtually all the preliminary work has been completed.
The Nordhavn Tunnel will be a cut-and-cover 1.4 kilometre long tunnel that will create more direct access to the urban development areas in outer and inner Nordhavn. The Danish Road Directorate has awarded this project to the JV BESIX - MT Højgaard JV in 2022.
4. Brainstorming on the UN Sustainable Development Goals in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and on Climate Change in Brussels (Belgium)
Colleagues in Abidjan have gathered recently around a sustainable breakfast and brainstormed on creative actions to take around a couple of specific SDGs. From systematically switching off electrical appliances when leaving the site at the end of the day, to reducing paper printing and the use of plastic in the canteen, a large number of initiatives were identified and allocated to committed owners. Given the enthusiasm of the participants, there is no doubt that these initiatives will quickly bear fruit. To be continued!
25 colleagues of the Engineering Department have also gathered recently to reflect on climate change and have created a ‘Climate Mural’. The Climate Mural animation is an innovative, effective and accessible tool for understanding the scientific basis of climate change. It allows participants to better understand what has led to climate change and what the consequences are, in a creative way. Boosted by this session, participants are better equipped to take action in the face of climate emergency.
And then this… Everything you always wanted to know about The Rail Baltica Riga Central Station project
Rail Baltica has published an in-depth description of the works (station, rail tracks, embankments, bridges) that BESIX and its partners are currently carrying out in Riga.